Blue Moon's Little Bro: Shock Top

I wasn't sure what to expect when I began to drink Shock Top. Judging from the package which consists of a sun with shades and a mohawk I was expecting an energy drink flavor, or possibly the greastest drink ever, orange soda with alcohol. Instead what I got was something that tasted exactly like Blue Moon, to the point where I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Don't get me wrong, I love Blue Moon. It has pushed me into blackout territory many a times at the bar but the reason I'm doing this is to drink new beers and this was a little too familair.

There is one key difference between the two beers and that is the marketing and design. Blue Moon with it's picture of a moon over a farm gives off a fall/early winter vibe while I can only see myself drinking a beer whose logo is an X-treme sun during the summer. Since the two are pretty much the same beer I have decided to make Blue Moon strictly a fall/winter beer while adding Shock Top to my summer rotation.


Pros: Good taste
Suns with shades and mohawks

Cons: Not as available as Blue Moon, taste the same but more expensive
Low alcohol content (less than 6%)

Overall I give it

2.7 out of 4 thumbs


The TRAIL

Mr. Woodcock

All-Star Cast-CHECK

Great Trailer-QuaziCheck

Great Movie-Check(ON OPPOSITE DAY)

I will be eating this movie up and dumping it out in 5...4....3...2...1. Mr. Woodcock is by far the worst movie I have seen in 2008. The funniest parts of this garbage pale of a movie are in the trailer. The cast is legitamate, but Sean William Scott playing the part of a uptight, motivational book-writer can't stray away from a Stifler-esque role unless he is singing about noble rabbits. As for BillyBob, his acting is decent, playing a hell-driven gym teacher, but the dialog makes him seem like a cross between his roles in Bad Santa and Bad News Bears with slight retardation. The endless joke of Billybob plowing Stifler's mom, Susan Sarandon, is redundant and since that's pretty much the only joke in the movie, one can see why boredom becomes an issue during the viewing. Ethan Suplee that token fat guy that seems to be popping up in quite a few movies these days wins the award for biggest douchebag in a movie for 2008 in playing a server that's in love with Stifler's Book. Kudos.

The only reason I am not giving this atrocity of a movie four thumbs down is Amy Poehler and Billybob's father. Amy is a breath of fresh air in a movie that has a lot of suffocating qualities playing the drunkard manager of Stifler. The Father is a ninety year old man picking fights out of a wheelchair, cursing up a storm, and trying to get all the dimes pieces. Make them the the stars of the movie and then we're talking, but since they're not I rate Mr. Woodcock

-3 out of 4 thumbs

Singing Out,

THE SAYLOR

Mr. WoodCock

Anytime you see a movie named Mr. Woodcock you know that you are in for the pinnacle of comedy. Although, I guess you have to be impressed when a movie can fit in two slang terms for a penis into a movie title and get away with it. I'll admit that I didn't have high hopes for this movie despite it having a solid cast that had all been in good movies before. The movie tried to hard to be like a PG-13 version of Bad Santa. Except if Billy Bob can't drop f-bombs, then him playing an asshole just doesn't seem legit. So to make up for the lack of cuss words they resort to having Billy Bob just mostly throw balls at kids in their underwear and spouting mildly humorous insults that get very old by the end of the movie. In a movie like this a hot chick is a neccesity and the movie tried to make that happen by cramming in a crappy sub plot involving Sean William Scott's old classmate. The problem is she has about 5 seconds of screen time and is a no name. To be honest I can't even remember what she looked like. Was Amy Smart not available or something? She was born for these type of roles. The plot is lame and predictable even for a comedy and prolly the worst thing I can say about it is that even after only 5 days of watching I already forget most of it which is maybe the worst thing you can say about a movie.

I also zoned out for a good portion of the movie and had a few thoughts about the movie such as is Susan Sarandon hot or not? Why hasn't Amy Poehler got a starring role in a movie since she has been truth in everything she has done? Will anyone ever start calling Sean William Scott by his actual name or just call him Stifler for the rest of his career? The movie did have a couple scenes that were funny and Billy Bob did have a line every now and then that hit the mark so it wasn't a complete disaster. I hope this movie does cap the "Billy Bob Thorton Asshole Trilogy" because it started off great with Bad Santa, was decent with Bad News Bears, and was garbage in this movie. It might be time for a new role ol' Billy Boy or knock it back up to the R rating. I give this movie
.4 thumbs out of 4

The 'Trail

Hazed and Infused

Even before I took my first sip of Hazed and Infused it had a couple of things going for it. I'm a big fan of puns and play on words. Even the smallest or lamest pun will get a chuckle out of me. So unless you are a moron then you know that the name Hazed and Infused is named after the movie Dazed and Confused. Dazed and Confused is a 4 thumbs up movie for me and may even be in my top 5. So anything named after the movie is okay in my book. Dazed and Confused isn't a half bad Led Zepplin song either.

As I lifted the bottle to take a swig, Hazed and Infused already had a solid 1.5 thumbs up just due to extenuating circumstances and the taste only helped it. It had the most distinct taste of all the beers so far and while I was on the fence at first by the third bottle I was a fan. I was ready to crown my new favorite beer until the Saylor and I started to wonder about the alcohol content. It was nowhere to be found on the bottle or packaging which was a bit suspicious. Upon looking on the website we found out that it only contained a pathetic 4.8%. With the price tag hovering around the 9 dollar mark this was unacceptable. If they could have clocked it in around 6-7% then I would have given Hazed and Infused a 3.8 but coupled with the price I must dock it at least a thumb. Therefore I give Hazed and Infused:

2.8 out of 4 thumbs

The 'Trail

Boulder Beer Company's



Hazed and Infused


Hazed and Infused is universally known for having more hops than Lebron James. Whether they're dry-hopping with crystal or centennial hops the beer has a bold, unique flavor. It's low alcohol content sitting at 4.5% is the biggest blunder a brew can have in my eyes. Dropping nine or ten beans on a sixer, you at least want to experience a little trip to buzztown. For me Hazed and Infuzed was almost too unique, like one of those humanimals. (For those of you that don't know, that is a person who physically and mentally transforms themselves into an animal.)

Anyway, the best part about the beer is the acid tripping bottle design. I have a feeling that the Boulder Beer company does have some hidden gems in the mist, but for now, just like Zepplin I am Dazed and Confused why Hazed and Infused didn't stick with subtle hops like Muggsy Bogues. That being said, I rate Hazed and Infuzed barely above average:

2.2 out of four thumbs

Signing Out,

THE SAYLOR

ERIE BREWING COMPANY'S

RAILBENDER ALE

Since this is my first Beer rating, the excitement is endless. I usually just shotgun so many beers people think that I'm hunting. Actually tasting the beer is going to be an experience in itself. I am not a very picky drinker, but I feel a Beer Snob is on the virge of creation. So, for the most part Railbender Ale goes down smooth as a baby's bottom. It has a natural ale taste that can settle in your stomach even during Saw IV. So if somebody is getting their skull saw opened you won't want to take a trip to vom city. At least not because of the beer. I am unsure about the process of rating a beer, but I would make a safe bet that it's GOOGLABLE. Since this is my first beer rate, and my pallet is satisfied, I rate Railbender Ale

3.1 out of 4 thumbs

SAW IV

As for SAW IV, you either like it or you don't. If you want to see people waking up in the worst case scenario one could ever imagine, then rent this gem. If you liked the first three, you will thoroughly enjoy this one. As a Trilogy, I put it up there with my favorites like Beverly Hills Cop and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. As a series, I hope they make them until I die. One can't argue that the traps are the most innovative as well as demented things to ever touch the big screen.

The acting is a different story. It kind of reminds me of cast of Laguna Beach, but they're not as aesthetically pleasing and their acting coaches probably weren't as good. They do one thing well, which is dying excruciating deathes. Kudos. Anyway, if you don't enjoy ole pigface, then this movie is just not your cup of tea. It does have the stereotypical make you say AWWW SPIT ending/twist, as all the SAW'S do and contrary to what Moregon Trail thinks, I think that this stacks up with the best of the Saw's. I would love to see Jigsaw in space. I hope I see Jigsaw in space, think about what they could do with the whole gravity thing. Since I watched Saw IV when it came out in the theatres like the other three, I can safely say it withstood the test of time. I wish my first movie rating wasn't the word for whatever comes after Trilogy, (we'll go Quadrily) because I like them all. I'm a sucker for gore. So, I give Saw IV

3 out of 4 thumbs



Signing Out,

THE SAYLOR

Erie Brewing Companys

Railbender Ale

My beer tasting pallet is minimal at best. It mostly includes slamming racks of Keystone during power hours that consist of nothing but Lil' Wayne and 80's pop hits. Sometimes I'll indulge myself and splurge on a case of Miller Light bottles and when I drink anything better it's usually because someone else is paying. That being said, I knew instantly that Railbender Ale was a winner. Despite the bottle resembling a railroad spike the beer inside was smooth and tasted delicious. I also had eaten Taco Bell for dinner that night but the Bell and Beer combo went easy on my stomach the next day. Overall I would recommended Railbender Ale but I won't know where it stacks up until the coming weeks as I sample more brands and become a true beer snob.

3 out of 4 thumbs

Saw IV

Making a fourth movie is a big step for a movie franchise. Instead of wrapping it up in a trilogy like Back to the Future, Pirates, and the Scream movies they decided to go for broke. Once you go past the third movie you become a series and god knows where it will end up. Much like Jason and Freddy it is now possible we will see Jigsaw killing people in space. In the fourth movie they show signs of going downhill. After three movies there are way to many no name characters that are cops, detectives, and victims to keep straight. The biggest star is New Kids on the Block alum Donnie Whalberg and he spends the entire movie with hippie hair moaning and groaning on a block of ice. It would help to watch the other movies before watching this one to know what is going on but I haven't seen the first Saw in over 3 years. For most of the movie I didn't who was doing what and forgot what the characters had done in the other movies. It's fine to do that in a sequel but it's hard to just pick up the movie and watch it if you hadn't seen the other ones especially if you have to watch or remember 4 or 5 other movies.
Saw is still legend at what it does best. The traps are ridiculous and it has enough blood and guts to satisfy. Nothing in this movie tops the needle pit in the 2nd or the best of the Hostel scenes but the hair pulling scene would make even a bald man puke. The trademark Saw twist ending is in play and while not as good as the others it still blows your mind and makes the movie come together. Saw IV was sweet enough that I will continue to watch the movies but I would wait until they hit the dollar theater or one day. Overall the trap scenes and ending make it slightly better than average so I give it

2.2 out of 4 thumbs


The 'Trail

Redhook Ale Brewery's

Winterhooks Winter Ale

Part two of the saga that is me rating brew-has. I'm pretty sure any beer might taste good while your watching the greatest show since the birth of cable....LOST. This beer seemed fitting since it's the wintertime, which made me hope for the taste of snowflakes, blizzard, or even windchill. Unfortunately, Winterhook didn't have much of an aftertaste, but it did have a 6.8% alcohol content which is good in my book. For this reason my rating took an elevator up. If you can make a beer taste good with high alcohol levels, I commend your efforts brewers. I haven't had many, if any winter ale's, but this one hit a chord in the taste department. I don't know if we are hitting the Brewing Jackpot or if I just like beer in general. I'm sure that soon we will come upon a beer that was a Counselor at Aids Camp, but for now I'm quite content with our selections. I would recommend getting this beer, only in winter and only when it's below freezing outside. That being said I rate WINTERHOOKS WINTER ALE

2.4 out of 4 thumbs


Signing out,
THE SAYLOR

Redhook's Winter Ale

This is only my second posting and my lazy ass has already fell behind. I drank the Winter Pale last week on a day that was freezing cold and hailing on us which is the perfect weather to drink this beer in. Unfortunately, it has been 50 degrees and rainy the past three days so it is hard to get back in the winter mindset that I was in to write this review. What I remember was that was a decent beer but didn't have the same great taste as the Railbender or the high level alcohol content that Sierra Nevada contained. It was better than the trash I usually drink but in the grand scheme of things it didn't leave a lasting impression. This will also prolly be the last time I drink the Winter Pale Ale for awhile because last time I drank it the weather reversed and we have had warmer days. Drinking it again could summon the Winter gods and bring a catergory 5 blizzard upon us and noboady wants that. If anything it may be time to break out the worst beer of all time, but also capable of bringing in sunny weather. I'm talking about Miller Chill of course.

I give this beer 2.1 thumbs up


The 'Trail